I had a fascinating conversation today with two Bergen County men who have spent a fair amount of time thinking and talking about ways the county’s 70 towns can save taxpayer dollars by sharing services.

My guests on Record Talk Radio this morning were Allen Rapaport, a Norwood councilman who heads a volunteer county wide push for shared services and Michael Shannon, who been leading a similar effort within six of those towns.

When I asked Rapaport for his view of the state of shared services in the county, he outlined some success stories and applauded the work being done by the six towns working with Shannon.

But he also offered a candid assessment, which you can read in this edited excerpt.

“If I tell you that we’re close to really making terrific headway, I would be lying,” he said.

“…There is this feeling of fiefdoms, is the best way I can say it, that nobody wants to give up control, nobody wants to give up home rule, nobody wants to give up anything without some sort of say so.

“I know that there have been individual discussions with the county executive and staff with almost every municipality. She has sent out a letter about a year ago and got tremendous response from people coming in to speak with her and the staff about things on the mind of elected officials and possible opportunities.

“I must say that Michael’s group has been the only group – these six towns (Bergenfield, Bogota, Hackensack, Englewood, New Milford and Teaneck) – that are truly moving forward and with open minds.”

“I’ve visited a lot of towns and it’s ‘well when the county does this first, we’ll do X.’ And you know, that’s not really managing.

“…Think about your taxpayers, that’s what got you elected. You got elected not for business as usual, but how do we move forward into 2013, 2020, 2025?

“How do we continue to make Bergen County an area where young people can continue to move in and older residents can survive?

“And that’s my issue with a lot of elected officials, that we really need to look, not at business as usual, but what can we do going forward.”